Mongolia: Land of the Nomad

Expedition Overview

Expedition Overview

Experience the events of Naadam, a traditional sporting festival celebrated across Mongolia, and get up close views of its wrestling, archery, and horse-racing competitions.

Spend four nights in a traditional ger at Three Camel Lodge, a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World.

Meet a senior government official in Ulaanbaatar for an inside perspective on Mongolia’s political and economic climate.

Visit with Nomadic families, look for fossils near the Flaming Cliffs, and listen to traditional throat singing.

Itinerary

Itinerary

Amid the stark beauty of Mongolia’s varied landscapes lives one of the world's last surviving nomadic cultures, whose customs pre-date the age of Genghis Khan. On a journey from the mystical steppe to the remote dunes of the Gobi desert, experience an ancient way of life. Ride horseback across wetlands, hike in a dramatic oasis, and watch the sun set on the Flaming Cliffs. Stay in traditional ger camps and witness the exhilarating contests at a celebration of Naadam.

Day 1: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Arrive in Ulaanbaatar and check in to our centrally located hotel.

Accommodations:Tuushin Hotel

Day 2: Ulaanbaatar

Spend the morning at the Gandan Monastery, Mongolia's largest functioning Buddhist monastery—one of the few to survive the Stalinist purges during the 1930s. Listen to the horns calling lamas and monks to temple, and witness the monks' daily rituals while visiting the adjoining Megjid Janraisig and Kalachakra Temples. This afternoon, visit the National Museum to get an overview of Mongolia's history and culture. Examine exhibits on nomadic life, including Stone and Bronze Age artifacts, traditional costumes, and sacred relics. Gather for a welcome reception and dinner tonight.

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations:Tuushin Hotel

Day 3: Ulaanbaatar/Gün-Galuut Nature Reserve

This morning, join a senior government official for an introduction to the current political and economic climate. Then drive east to Gün-Galuut, a nature reserve near the Khentii Mountains where the steppe converges with wetlands. Spend the rest of the day exploring the area on hikes or an optional horseback ride, enjoying stunning vistas and the wildlife of the reserve. Our home here is a camp of a traditional gers, or round, felt-lined tents, set amid lush meadows.

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations:Ger Camp

Day 4: Gün-Galuut Nature Reserve

Spend the day exploring the mountains and wetlands of the reserve on a hike or an optional horseback ride, and keep an eye out for endangered Argali mountain sheep and a number of endangered crane species. In the afternoon, pay a visit to a local nomadic family for a rare look at everyday life in rural Mongolia. Take in the ingenious architecture of the family gers while you get to know some of the world’s last nomadic peoples.

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations:Ger Camp

Day 5: Gün-Galuut Nature Reserve/Ulaanbaatar

Enjoy a morning at leisure before returning to Ulaanbaatar. Along the way, stop to view a 131-foot-tall Genghis Khan equestrian statue. This afternoon, visit the Zanabazar Fine Arts Museum, which displays one of the world’s best collections of Buddhist art and artifacts.

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodations:Tuushin Hotel

Day 6: The Gobi/Yol Valley/Havsgait

Soar over the vast steppe on a flight to the mystical Gobi, site of some of the most important paleontological discoveries of the 20th century. Over the next four days, explore the wildlife and varying landscapes of the desert, home to Bactrian camels, Argali mountain sheep, and saker falcons.

Upon arrival, travel to Yolyn Am, or Eagle Valley, a dramatic chasm that cuts a narrow path through the foothills of the arid Altai Mountains. Then visit the local natural history museum.

Drive to the Three Camel Lodge, a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World, voted in 2009 one of the Top 50 Ecolodges by National Geographic Adventure magazine and settle into your deluxe ger.

In the late afternoon, drive to Havtsgait Valley and hike to the hilltop site of ancient rock drawings left by early Gobi settlers.

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations:This night includes a stay at a National Geographic Unique Lodge.

The Three Camel Lodge celebrates the traditions of Mongolia’s nomads while seeking to preserve its awe-inspiring surroundings.

Day 7: Naadam Festival

Mongolia’s most famous festival and sporting event—Naadam—happens each summer in villages and towns across the country. Traditionally garbed participants compete in wrestling, archery, and horseback racing. Witness the contests up close, taking in the colorful pomp and pageantry, as well as the whirling excitement of the horse race.

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations:Three Camel Lodge

Day 8: Khongoryn Els Sand Dunes

Today drive to Khongoryn Els (4 hours), a 60-mile stretch of rippling sand dunes that soar up to 600 feet and trace the edge of the Altai range. Ride a camel into the dunes to catch the sunset on this stunning and remote desert landscape, and spend the night in a nearby ger camp.

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations:Gobi Erdene Ger Camp

Day 9: Khongoryn Els Sand Dunes

This morning, listen to the low hum of the "Singing Sands," known for the uncanny, deep groan the sand emits when the dunes' surface is disturbed. Stop in at the camp of a camel herding family and experience traditional Mongolian hospitality. After lunch, return to Three Camel Lodge. Enjoy a lively music performance this evening.

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations:Three Camel Lodge

Day 10: Tugrigiin Shiree/Flaming Cliffs

Drive to Tugregiin Shiree, where paleontologists discovered the famous “Fighting Dinosaurs” fossil in the 1970s. Continue to Bayanzag, also known as the Flaming Cliffs. Here, brilliant red sandstone harbors a treasure trove of dinosaur fossils and eggs. Hike down into the gorge to see the breathtaking span of desert landscape and crimson cliffs. Then enjoy an al fresco dinner beside the cliffs.

Meals Included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodations:Three Camel Lodge

Day 11: Gobi Desert/Ulaanbaatar

Fly to Ulaanbaatar this morning, arriving in time for lunch at a local restaurant. Venture into the Winter Palace of the Bogd Khan, home of Mongolia's last theocrat and eighth Living Buddha. Take in the architectural details of this ornate monument that somehow escaped destruction during the reign of Stalin. In the evening, enjoy a unique art form during a performance of traditional Mongolian dance and khoomi, or throat singing, and celebrate your Mongolian expedition at a farewell dinner.